1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to protective undergarments that can be constructed in different sizes, and which may be used by adults and children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protective underwear having a waterproof or water-resistant sling is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,526; U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,476; U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,364; U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,583; U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,127; U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,603; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,705. U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,037 shows a protective undergarment with a releasable pocket-sling. Front and rear ends of these slings are joined to an outer shell so that the sling can isolate body fluids and fecal matter from the outer shell. A suspended pocketed sling shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,603 is formed by folding front and rear sections of a rectangular fabric about fold lines extending transverse to the major or longitudinal dimension of the rectangular fabric, so that overlapping portions of the rectangular fabric form fore and aft pockets. Exterior crease lines are covered by an elastic trim. Elastic is also placed along side edges to recess and cup the entire frontal potion of the sling to better fit the wearer's anatomy. Stitching along the edges of the pocket holds the three plies of the S-folded fabric construction together. A rectangular pocket opening is thus formed by the transverse fold lines and the longitudinal edges of the rectangular fabric. Remote ends of this pocketed sling can then be attached or stitched to the outer shell, which may be in the form of a pant or a diaper. The sling can hang freely from the opposite ends of the garment, and the absence of stitching between the sling and the garment in the area of the pocket eliminates a leakage path. A disposable pad, either reusable or disposable can be fitted in the pocket, with the ends of the pad held by the fore and aft overlapping or S-shaped sections at opposite ends of the rectangular pocket opening. Although this rectangular pocket can provide a pocket of sufficient volume to collect bodily wastes, and an absorbent pad can be held in place within the pocket, the rectangular opening does not naturally conform to pubic area of the wearer. The exposed material along the crease lines formed by the transverse fold can become soiled compromising the effectiveness of the protective undergarment. This is especially a problem along the front of the undergarment when used for males, especially small boys, because the straight edge of the rectangular opening is wets easily.
In some prior art undergarments formed with S-pockets having rectangular edges, elastic encircles the rectangular sling opening. This elastic pulls material inward and can cause the pocket opening to take on an oval shape with curved front and rear openings. However, this effect of the elastic reduces the size of the pocket opening and provides less, not more, exposure of a disposable pad. This effect thus exposes more of the layer of the sling adjacent to the wearer to the pubic area and increases the area that can be wetted, especially for males. This ovaling effect thus reduces the effectiveness of S-pocket garments formed by a rectangular fold line.
Another approach to forming a pocket on one end of a sling folds opposite sides of the sling on at least one end to form a partially overlapping configuration so that an absorbent pad can be held in place by the partially overlapping sides of the sling. An example of one such configuration is shown in FIG. 13A of U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,122. Another approach to forming a sling pocket for holding the end of an absorbent pad employs drop strips extending along the sides of the sling from the inner surface of the sling to an opening that will be positioned against the wearer. A bumper fabric piece extending around the drop strip on either side forms the pocket along with the overlapped ends of the drop strips. A representative configuration using a bumper fabric piece with drop strips is shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,122.
These prior art pocketed slings will retain moisture, and they are therefore especially useful when used on the front of a diaper where water retention is important. However, these pocketed slings can be relatively bulky, resulting in a unsightly bulge in a protective undergarment, especially when used at the rear of the garment, where water retention issues are less demanding than at the front of a protective undergarment. A reduction is the bulkiness of a sling pocket will reduce such bulges. Alternately, a reduction in the bulkiness or thickness of a sling pocket could provide additional space for water absorbent pads. The instant invention will, among other advantages, provide a thinner less bulky sling pocket that can be less bulky, will reduce unsightly protrusions or bulges, and can will allow introduction of water absorbent layers and pads.